Stephen Forsey, Greubel Forsey & Complitime

When asked about his greatest business achievements of the past 12 months, Stephen Forsey is not short of answers.

It all began with the company’s second win at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, this time receiving the Aiguille d’Or for its Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision. “The 24 Seconds Vision is a very elegant piece, with its rose gold case and black dial. So much has been hand-worked, and those eminent jurors will have looked at it and recognised that,” he explains.

The year continued with the opening of Greubel Forsey’s first showroom in Ginza, Tokyo, followed by the sale of the ‘Naissance d’une Montre’ School Watch at Christie’s Hong Kong, which raised invaluable funds for Time Aeon Foundation, also co-founded by Stephen.

“The watch achieved more than three times its estimate, which underlines an awakening of the horological community,” he says, who has dedicated much of his time to inspiring and supporting a new generation of traditional watchmakers through Time Aeon.

A huge admirer of legendary watchmaking masters of the past, Stephen also inherited his father’s passion for the intricacies of mechanics. “My parents supported me to follow my dream, even though at the time (when I was a teenager), watchmaking was definitely not a secure path,” he adds.
“As a parent today, I realise that the greatest gift you can give your children is to encourage them to find their own passion, because there is nothing more positive and fulfilling than living that passion.”

And so it is with rigour, discipline and determination – as well as a level of patience only a watchmaker could possess – that he forges ahead into the future.

“We plan to continue along the path we have begun with our ideas and new concepts, with creativity being key,” Stephen explains. “Fundamentally, we give free rein to our ideas during the whole creation process of each timepiece, to achieve our objectives without compromising on quality and finishing.

“Moreover, through the Time Aeon Foundation, we are determined to perpetuate traditional watchmaking knowledge and values. It is essential to us to pass on our knowledge in order to give our collectors the full reassurance that the future generation of watchmakers will be fully able to preserve the timepieces from yesterday, today and tomorrow.”